Protocol
by jagter se maan
Summary: Temari goes to have a talk with Gaara about the future. Post time skip.


Protocol

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Temari waited patiently for Gaara to call her in before opening the door. The office was the same as always, a stack of papers on one side of the desk and another on a smaller adjacent table behind it, where she couldn't see. Gaara was watching her already. She almost smiled, and stepped inside.

"Temari," he said in greeting.

She stopped in front of the desk, ignoring the chairs. "I'm going to Konohagakure," Temari said in return. Gaara's expression didn't change, but she could guess he was wondering why she would tell him something he already knew. Her schedule hadn't changed; she stayed in Konoha for two and a half months at a time, then returned to Sunagakure for two weeks before going back.

She took a seat in the chair behind her to the right, removing her fan and leaning it against the side of her chair. She avoided his gaze for a moment, studied instead the threads on her sleeve. She tugged at one absently, then looked back up. Gaara was watching her. "I am requesting temporary leave."

"How long?" He was studying her similarly to how she had studied her sleeve threads, but there were questions to be answered about her, and she could not tell if he was finding any of them.

"One year, mandatory. More would be welcome." If Gaara were not her brother, she would not ask for more than a year. But he was her little brother, as much as he had not been for six years of their lives, and she had hope that he would grant it, so long as he thought she needed the time.

"How far along are you?" Temari did smile, though it was small. It had occurred to her that Gaara most likely had known within hours of her return. His expression was unreadable, though neither distant nor cold.

"Three months," she said confidently. And because it was relevant, because she wanted him to know, she added, "Shikamaru doesn't know yet." Gaara nodded briefly, his eyes narrowing somewhat as he thought. It was rare that he allowed anyone to see that he was actively thinking about something; Temari eased back in the chair and crossed one leg over the other.

"You wish to speak with him before making any decisions?" he said carefully, and she nodded. "Temari… Do you realize the political ramifications of any decision you make regarding the child?" She did, but not as well as she ought to; so she shook her head.

Gaara stood and walked around the desk. He stopped on the other side of it, not quite leaning against the side, and watched her silently, his arms crossed in front of him. "Every child is raised to be loyal to one village; cases of children with parents from different villages are rare because of this. The risk of a village losing a ninja, especially to another village, is too high. The few successful cases involve one of the parents moving to the other village permanently."

Temari knew what that would mean - formally resigning as a ninja, giving up all of the rights and risks that entailed, living as a civilian. Not one ninja from Sunagakure had ever resigned. "Should it ever happen that Konohagakure and Sunagakure forfeit their alliance again-"

She almost interrupted him, because any way of that happening would have to mean he, Gaara, was no longer Kazekage, and she knew only one way that that would be the case; but she remained silent, and he continued. "-it would be unwise to assume that you would be trusted. Your child, as well."

"Konohagakure is not so rash, Gaara."

"A village is as much as its leader," he replied, and left it at that. Temari tugged at the loose thread again. He was finding more answers than she had been able to. She had come knowing what he had told her, but certain there was some way of getting around the permanence of retirement. There did not seem to be one, or else Gaara would have told her that also.

"Gaara…"

"I would accept any decision," he said simply. Temari let go of the thread and smiled again. He did not return the smile, but he nodded once.

"You do realize what this means, Gaara?" He showed no sign of confusion except a pause, as he had begun to stand away from the desk. "It won't just be the three of us soon. And you…" Temari shook her head and stood; she picked up her fan, slung it across her back, and regarded her youngest brother.

"I will be…an uncle." She almost laughed. Gaara's expression was bemused, somewhat uncomprehending. She could say 'yes, you will be', but he knew that; she could ask if he was okay with that, but it wouldn't matter, he would be one anyway. She stepped forward, blank-faced, and wrapped her arms around him; he neither tensed nor relaxed, but he was not just her brother.

"Thank you, Temari," Gaara murmured, and she pulled away. "You will leave within the hour?"

"Yes." He nodded her dismissal, and she bowed. As his sister left Gaara returned to his seat and retrieved a small blank scroll, a pen, and organized his thoughts. He would see Temari off, but there were matters to be addressed first; one mission more before her leave. Maybe it wouldn't matter; maybe it wouldn't be honored as he hoped.

40 minutes later Temari had gone, accompanied by two jounen. She had the scroll with her; he hadn't needed to tell her anything more than for whom it was. The jounen would stay until a reply was ready, as per their orders. Waiting would be the hardest part of it; this week would seem unusually long.

Gaara returned to his office and his papers. He would wait.

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Author: jagter se maan

AIM: TS chatterfox

Status: Complete


End file.
